The next morning dawned bright and early, making Katara regret having fallen asleep with the curtains open. She rolled over with a yawn, pulling the covers up over her head. But try as she might, she couldn't fall back asleep. Luckily she felt very well rested, but she had been hoping to sleep in longer. Reluctantly she threw the blankets off and sat up, stretching. She crawled out of bed and strode over to the balcony, opening the doors to let in the morning breeze before she crossed the room and got ready for the day. After bathing and brushing her teeth, she sat at the vanity and dried her hair, then ran a brush through her dark brown locks.
Once she was finished with her hair, she tied her mother's necklace around her neck, and then strode over to the wardrobe to find something to wear. She opened the wardrobe doors, and her eyes were instantly drawn towards the red and brown garments hanging inside. She considered her options for a moment, and then decided to wear one of the Fire Nation outfits. She figured she was spending the day at a festival anyway, so she might as well blend in. She picked out an outfit that closely resembled the clothes she had worn when she was in disguise in the Fire Nation, choosing it for the familiarity. She had forgotten how short the top had been cropped though, and she felt a little awkward as she studied her reflection and noticed just how much of her midriff was bared.
She tied her hair back into a loose braid, slipped on a pair of red sandals, and then gave herself one last look in the mirror. She smiled at her reflection, satisfied with her appearance, then headed out of her room and down towards the dining room for breakfast. When she entered the dining room, she found Zuko, Iroh, Ty Lee, Suki, and Toph already gathered around the table, helping themselves to the food that had been laid out for them.
"Good morning," Katara said as she strolled into the dining room.
Zuko looked up at the sound of her voice, about to wish her a good morning, but found himself speechless as he laid eyes on her. Toph perked up slightly, turning her head towards Zuko as if noticing something strange, but she remained silent. It wasn't until he felt Suki and Iroh's eyes on him did he realize he was staring wordlessly at Katara. He swallowed hard, and took a long sip of his drink to hide his sudden embarrassment. Suki and Iroh glanced at each other, both smirking before returning to their plates. Katara took a seat next to Zuko, pulling some food onto her plate.
"Katara, you look amazing in red," Suki commented, casting her friend a sly smile.
"Oooh, she really does! You should wear it more often!" Ty Lee agreed, not picking up on the tension that now filled the room.
Zuko chanced a glance back at Katara, feeling a blush creep across his cheeks. She cast a frown towards Suki, and chose to ignore her suggestive gaze.
"It is nice to see you settling in so nicely, Katara. You will fit in very well here, I think," Iroh said, building on Suki's jabs.
Katara let out a small sigh, but smiled up at them. "That was my intention. If we are going to a festival today, I figured I may as well try and blend in a little."
She quickly glanced at Zuko and their eyes met briefly before they both turned back to their plates with sudden interest in their breakfasts. Before any teasing could continue, Sokka walked into the room, stretching and yawning loudly. He walked over to Suki, gave her an affectionate kiss, then sat down next to her and began shovelling food into his mouth. Aang joined them shortly after, his face falling in disappointment when he noticed there was no free seat beside Katara. He settled in next to Toph and helped himself to breakfast, his mood picking up as he chatted to his friends.
After they had all eaten their fill, the seven of them filtered outside where two carriages were waiting. Aang, Sokka, Suki, and Ty Lee piled into the first one, leaving Zuko, Katara, and Toph to climb into the second, and soon they were heading back down the Caldera towards the Harbour City where they were scheduled to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening.
"How is the Metalbending school going, Toph?" Katara asked as they made their way down the mountain.
"Eh, it's going alright I guess. I only have a couple of students, and so far they are pretty useless," Toph replied.
Katara smiled slightly at her friend, even though she couldn't see it. Katara knew the Earthbender well enough to know that despite her words, she was invested in her students and enjoyed teaching.
"Well I'm glad you have new students to boss around. I know it's something you enjoy," Katara teased.
"I'm bossy?" Toph replied, raising her eyebrow. "We are clearly remembering things differently."
Zuko laughed, looking between the two women affectionately. He had missed having his friends around, and listening to Katara and Toph playfully bicker brought back many happy memories.
"I think we can all safely recall that neither of you were, nor are, particularly meek," he said, grinning at Katara.
Toph smirked. "I missed you guys," she said, putting her feet up on the seat across from her and leaning back with her arms behind her head.
Before long they found themselves stopped at the edge of the city, and the carriage doors were opened for them all to depart. Katara looked around at the scene before her; the city was draped in bright red banners and streamers, people were milling about in the streets, chatting happily, music filled the air, and the scent of food stalls wafted towards them, causing Sokka to drool slightly. She also noticed they were surrounded by several palace guards, who stuck particularly close to Zuko. She could tell this was an annoyance he was used to, but he looked exasperated all the same.
Once they were all ready to go, the seven of them, flanked by the guards, took off into the city and heading for the market district. People stared at them as they went, whispering excitedly to one another. It wasn't every day that the Fire Lord himself strolled through the city streets, but as they recognized Aang, their excitement spread, and soon people were craning to get a look at them. Katara was used to this; when she and Aang had been together, this had happened everywhere they went. Everyone wanted to see the Avatar, and Aang basked in the attention. Even now, she watched him pull away from the group, waving and smiling at the crowd as they passed.
Suki suddenly fell in step with Katara, giving her friend a sympathetic squeeze of the hand. "I see what you mean now about him showing off," Suki said, watching Aang please the crowd with a few small Airbending tricks.
Katara nodded, but her eyes lingered on Aang, resentful memories coming back to her. Zuko noticed the scowl on her face and traced her gaze towards the Airbender, frowning as he realized why she suddenly seemed upset. This was exactly the kind of thing she had told him about in her letters, and he felt a surprising surge of anger towards Aang as he thought of how deeply his negligence had hurt Katara. He quickened his pace; falling in line on her other side, and touched her arm briefly in a show of comfort. She looked up at him, and her expression softened as she registered the meaning behind his gesture. Suki looked between the two of them, struggling to hide the grin that threatened to break across her face.
Suki gave Katara's hand another squeeze, and then she strode away and grabbed Sokka and Ty Lee, linking arms with the both of them and pulling them towards the nearest food vendors. Two of the guards broke off to stay with them, and Katara noticed that Aang and another guard had fallen behind the rest of them. She found it amusing that the guards felt they needed protection when they were some of the strongest benders and warriors of their generation, but she appreciated their dedication nonetheless.
"He certainly never passes up a chance to show off, does he?" Toph said, striding up to Katara and Zuko.
"No, he does not," Katara replied, unable to suppress the bitterness in her voice.
"Cheer up, sweetness; he isn't your problem anymore."
Toph clapped her on the back, causing Katara to stumble slightly. Zuko instinctively reached out to steady her, and as she looked up at him with a warm smile of thanks, he unexpectedly felt his heart skip a beat. Toph's head twitched slightly; similarly to how she had moved at breakfast, as if she were hearing things the others could not. She looked momentarily confused, but brushed it off.
"Let's grab some food. Everything smells delicious," she said, wandering off towards the stall Suki, Sokka, and Ty Lee were currently visiting.
Katara and Zuko turned to follow, but suddenly found their path blocked by two women. One was short, squat, and middle-aged, and the other looked to be in her late teens and bore a strong resemblance to the first woman. They both looked nervous, but resolute as they bowed towards the two of them.
"I apologize for the interruption, but… are you Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe?" the elder woman asked.
Katara stared at the woman for a moment, shocked. She had not expected anyone to want to speak to her specifically, and she certainly didn't think anyone would recognize her so easily, especially as she was dressed in Fire Nation clothes.
"I am, yes," she replied, casting a confused look towards Zuko, who shrugged.
The woman's face lit up, and she reached for Katara's hand, shaking it vigorously. "Lady Katara, it is truly an honour to meet you!"
"Um… well, thank you, it's nice to meet you too…" Katara said, prompting the woman for her name.
"I am Anzu, my Lady, and this is my daughter Lan. We are from the village of Jang Hui."
Immediately Katara registered the name, and she understood. They were from the fishing village where she had pretended to be the Painted Lady years ago.
"Oh! Well then, it really is a pleasure to meet you! I trust the village is doing well?"
"Oh yes, my Lady, thanks to you, we are thriving again."
"That's wonderful! I am very happy to hear that. And please, just call me Katara, I'm no lady," she said with a laugh.
"With all due respect, I must disagree. You saved our village, and you healed my husband when he was ill. He would have died if you had not come along. Jang Hui owes you a debt of gratitude. To us, you are the Painted Lady."
"The Painted Lady?" Zuko repeated, confused.
Anzu immediately jumped at the chance to tell Zuko all about the legend of the Painted Lady, and how Katara had come to their village disguised as the spirit to bring them food, heal their sick, and rid them of the factory that had polluted the waters that was their livelihood. Zuko's smile grew as he listened to the story, casting a warm, appreciative look towards Katara that made her blush.
"Katara… I had no idea. Why didn't you tell me about this before?" Zuko asked.
She shrugged. "I didn't help them just so I could brag about it. It was just… the right thing to do."
"My Lady, in two weeks we are having a festival of our own, and we would be beyond honoured if you could attend. We never got the chance to properly thank you," Anzu interrupted, smiling hopefully at them.
Katara looked to Zuko and he nodded encouragingly. She smiled at the two women before her and said, "Of course I will come. I would be honoured."
Joyful tears sprang to Anzu's eyes, and she grabbed Katara's hands once more. Lan looked slightly embarrassed by her mother's enthusiasm, but she too seemed to be genuinely pleased that Katara had accepted the offer.
"We would be honoured to have you attend as well, Fire Lord Zuko. Our village is small, but we are very hospitable," Lan said, bowing.
"I wouldn't miss it for anything. I will look forward to it," Zuko said, causing both Lan and Anzu to grin happily.
Katara felt a great surge of affection for him, appreciating his willingness to commit to visiting such a small, out of the way village. He really loved his people, and it was obvious. She cast him a warm smile, which he returned immediately. Anzu looked between the two of them, and a sly look crossed her face. She reached over and patted Katara gently on the arm.
"You look lovely in red, by the way. You would make a beautiful Fire Lady, and a remarkably kind one at that. Just what the Fire Nation needs," she said, causing both Zuko and Katara to blush crimson.
They glanced at each other briefly, and then both turned their eyes away; Zuko rubbing the back of his neck and Katara playing with the end of her braid. Anzu and Lan smirked at each other, amused by the reaction.
"Well, I should leave you to enjoy your day. It was a great pleasure to meet you both, and I look forward to your visit," Anzu said, bowing at them both in turn.
Lan mirrored her mother's bow, and then the two of them turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Zuko and Katara standing silently, awkwardly avoiding each other's wandered over to them, her brow furrowing as she got closer.
"What's up with you two?" she asked.
"Nothing!" they both answered at once.
Toph gave a disbelieving look, then sighed. "Yeah, okay. Whatever you say."
Katara glanced at Zuko, annoyed that people's jabs about their friendship was getting to her so much. She didn't understand why everyone seemed to think they were dating, and even more so why the assumption made her blush.
"Suki and Ty Lee said they wants to check out a stall selling scarves or some dumb girly thing, and I thought you might want to join them," Toph said, changing the topic.
"Sure, I'll go take a look," Katara replied, giving them both a wave and heading over to where Suki and Ty Lee stood.
Sokka was slowly making his way through the food stalls, and Toph dragged Zuko over to join him. Zuko wasn't particularly hungry, but it was better than standing around wondering why his heart had fluttered at the thought of Katara being the Fire Lady.
They spent most of the afternoon browsing the stalls and enjoying the music, which Katara particularly enjoyed. The last time she had been in the Fire Nation, people didn't dance or enjoy music at all, but things had changed over the last five years. The people were dancing happily with one another, and everyone seemed to at least be tapping their foot along to the beat.
As evening began to fall, everyone began to gather in the city square to watch the fireworks that were scheduled to happen right after nightfall. Aang had finally rejoined them, and he was telling Sokka and Toph a funny story that one of his many admirers had told him. Katara stood with Ty Lee and Suki, listening to Ty Lee talk about the dress she was planning to wear for the ball. Zuko strode over to them, and Katara greeted him with a grateful smile, having grown tired of listening to Ty Lee talk about frills and lace and was eager for a distraction. Katara edged away from the two women and towards Zuko, grabbing the sleeve of his shirt.
"Please help me… Ty Lee won't stop talking about ribbons," she said, causing him to chuckle at her.
He looked around for a moment, mentally noting where all of their friends were, and then taking note of where all of the palace guards stood watching. Suddenly he smirked at Katara, taking her hand gently.
"Want to get a better view of the fireworks?" he said low so only she could hear.
"Are you suggesting sneaking away?" Katara asked, amused.
"I don't know about you, but I'm sick of being watched like a child by the guards."
"Yeah, it is rather uncomfortable having them tail us everywhere… but do you think we could really sneak away?"
"Well, not all of us. They would notice for sure if we all tried to leave, but I can get us out."
Katara gave him an incredulous look, raising her eyebrow. "Oh really?"
"Follow me," Zuko replied, pulling her towards one of the busier stalls near the edge of the square.
Katara let him lead her into the crowd, watching as he took note of the guards. Every time one of them looked away, he pulled her deeper into the dense crowd of people who were gathering in the square until they had broken through the other side of the wall of people and into a shadowy alleyway. She gave him an impressed look and was about to speak, but he pressed a finger to his lips and gestured for her to follow. She grinned in amusement, following him as she stalked through the shadows. He led her down several streets, eventually taking them to the edge of the city.
"I had forgotten how sneaky you are," Katara said as he led her away from the city and across a grassy plain.
"You aren't the only one who has donned a mask and snuck off in the middle of the night to help people," he said, smirking at her.
Katara grinned at the reference, remembering the stories she had heard about his deeds when he donned his Blue Spirit mask.
"Technically I wore a hat and a painted face," she teased. "Where are we going anyway?"
"You'll see. It's not much farther now."
Zuko continued walking across the field, the sky growing steadily darker. The fireworks were bound to start any minute, and she couldn't imagine where he was leading her. But she didn't have to wait long to find out; suddenly she found herself staring out over the ocean from high up on a clifftop. She could see the harbour from where they stood, and the glowing lights of the city behind them. The moon was starting to rise, casting a glow over the darkened ocean.
"Oh… wow. This is… a spectacular view," she breathed, eyes fixed on the horizon.
Zuko pointed out at a dark shape on the water. "See that ship? That's where they launch the fireworks from. Most people gather in the square to watch together or else wander down the harbour, but the best spot to watch is here, from the cliffs."
"How did you figure that out?" Katara asked, grinning.
"This isn't the first time I've snuck away," he replied with a smirk.
He wandered over to the edge of the cliff, sitting down on the grass and dangling his feet over the edge. Katara joined him immediately, feeling a rush of excitement as she looked down over the edge at the water below. They fell into silence, watching the last rays of daylight disappear over the horizon as they waited for the fireworks to begin.
"Won't the guards come looking for you?" Katara suddenly asked, leaning back on her elbows in the grass.
Zuko looked down at her and shrugged. "As long as we aren't gone for too long, they will probably just think I got swallowed up by the crowd. It gets really busy, so it's easy to lose someone. We will have to head back once the fireworks are done though, otherwise they probably will come looking, and I will get scolded by my council," he replied with a smirk that reflected just how unconcerned he was about it all.
Katara returned his smirk, appreciating that he still had such a strong sense of adventure despite having been bound by the responsibilities of his title. A sudden boom sounded overhead, echoing across the water, and the sky was suddenly alight with bright red sparks. Katara sat back up, her eyes wide with excitement as the fireworks began. Zuko had been right; the cliffs really were the best spot to watch. She sat transfixed, mesmerized by the incredible display of light and how perfectly it was reflected in the blackened water below.
Zuko watched her face as the fireworks lit up the sky, enjoying the expression of awe on her face and marvelling at how the reflection of the burning sparks that fell gently towards the water made her eyes sparkle. As the display came to an end and the lights fizzled into darkness, Katara turned her gaze to Zuko. she was startled to see he was already looking at her with a soft expression, and she felt her cheeks turn pink.
"Thanks for bringing me here, Zuko. It was amazing," she said, grateful that the darkness covered her blushing face.
"Anytime Katara. It's nice to have someone around who will sneak off with me, so I appreciate you coming along," he said smiling. "We should head back though. We should slip back into the town square before the crowd thins too much."
She nodded and they both got to their feet, retracing their path through the field towards the light of the city beyond. She felt content, but the buzz of excitement was still running through her.
"This was fun. I don't get the chance to do things that could get me in trouble anymore," she said with a grin. "My thirst for adventure has been sated, for now at least."
"I know what you mean," Zuko replied with a chuckle. "I often find myself missing the trouble we used to get into. I'm obviously glad the war is over and all, but I miss travelling, meeting new people, seeing new places, spending all my time with my friends… I even miss fighting."
"Me too. I cover combat bending with my students so we do spar, but I have to hold back, even against my advanced students. They have never seen a real battle before, so they are focused on technique and form. They don't have the creativity that a life-threatening situation demands, so even when I do get the chance to bend, it's nothing impressive."
"Yeah, same. I spar with the soldiers sometimes, but even though they have seen battle, they still hold back."
"Because you're the Fire Lord?" Katara asked, giving him a sympathetic look.
"That's my assumption, yes. I've asked them not to, but they do anyway. Nobody wants to injure the Fire Lord."
"Like they stand a chance," Katara snorted, enticing a pleased grin out of Zuko.
"I don't know, I may have gone soft over the years."
"Well, we can test that theory, if you like. You know I've never held back when we have fought."
"Yeah, because the last time we properly fought, we were still enemies," Zuko laughed. "But if you're challenging me, I would be happy to oblige."
Katara pondered for a moment, grinning. "I mean, if your babysitters will let you, I would love to spar with someone who can actually keep up," she said, winking at him.
Zuko chuckled, and his eyes gleamed at the thought of the challenge. "Alright, let's do it. How about tomorrow? We can walk down to the lake and give the nearby residents a spectacle."
"You're on!"
They approached the city, both grinning excitedly as they looked forward to the next day. Zuko led them back through the streets and alleyways, and soon they had re-emerged in the town square, slipping back in as the crowd around them trickled out. They spotted Toph and Suki standing near the edge of the crowd and made their way over, finding themselves suddenly flanked by the guards. Zuko fought to suppress a smirk, knowing they were relieved to find he had not gone missing after all.
Once everyone had regrouped, they walked back to the carriages together. Suki appeared next to Katara, and she pulled her back away from the group slightly, giving her a curious grin.
"Where did you two disappear to?" she asked, raising her eyebrows suggestively.
Katara rolled her eyes. "We went to go watch the fireworks away from the crowd. We left the city and walked over to the cliffs."
"Oooh, how romantic!"
"Suki, stop it!" Katara said with a laugh. "He's my best friend, that's all. He just wanted to sneak away, and he knew I would appreciate the view."
Suki gasped, feigning a hurt expression. "I thought I was your best friend!"
"You are practically my sister," Katara replied, linking her arm with Suki's.
She smiled warmly in reply, leaning over and giving Katara a quick kiss on the cheek. They approached the carriages and climbed into the nearest one, followed by Toph and Ty Lee, the latter of whom shrieked, "Girls only!" excitedly as she climbed in. Toph groaned loudly as their carriage erupted into laughter. They made their way back to the palace happily chatting about the events of the day and enjoying their time together, taking advantage of it while they could.